Bangkok-based drug liaison officers view opium-substitute cultivation and development works in Shan State

Bangkok-based

drug liaison officers view opium-substitute cultivation and development works in

Shan State

YANGON,

20 Feb – Drug Liaison Officers being attached to Bangkok-based UN Drug and

Criminal Office and embassies and senior officers of Thai Drug Control Committee

Office went on one-day trip to view Yaungkha Village All-round Development tasks

in Monghsat District, Shan State (East) and opium-substitute coffee and tea

plantations in Wa region via Maesai-Tachilek on 17 February. On 17 February

morning, Joint-Secretary of Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control Police Col

Hkam Aung and officials welcomed the excursion group at the border bridge. They

went to 1,000 acres of opium-substitute coffee plantations and 400 acres of

Woolon tea in Lwehsanhson region where officials of the local national

organization conducted the guests round the plantations.

Afterwards, the guests proceeded

to Yaungkha All-round Development Model Village being jointly implemented by

Myanmar and Thailand under the drug elimination programme. The guests viewed the

primary school, the hospital and water availability in the village.

The excursion group included

Doitung Project Executive Director-General Mr Disnadda Diskul, UNODC Regional

Director Mr Akira Hujino, Deputy Secretary-General of Thai Drug Control

Committee Ms Rasamee Vistavet, drug liaison officers from 18 countries and DEA,

INTERPOL officers totalling 136.

22.35 acres of

poppy plantations destroyed

YANGON,

20 Feb-Poppy plantations are being destroyed in 2003-2004 poppy growing season.

A combined team comprising members of local Tatma-dawmen, local intelligence

unit, Myanmar Police Force, departmental officials and local people, destroyed

22.35 acres of poppy plantations illegally grown near Nampoke Creek in Hkamti

Township on 10 February, making the total acres of destroyed poppy plantations

grown in poppy growing regions in this year’s poppy growing season to 6,316.44

acres up to 10 February 2004.

drug-related 

cases exposed in 2003

Yangon,

19 Feb – The Tatmadaw, the Myanmar Police Force and the Customs Department

exposed 2,763 drug-related cases in 2003.

The authorities seized 1,481.4978

kilos of opium in 396 cases, 568.0827 kilos of heroin in 968 cases, 156.25 kilos

of morphine in two cases, 51.7375 kilos of opium oil in 51 cases, 203.868 kilos

of low grade opium in 200 cases, 85.2016 kilos of marijuana in 194 cases, 74.68

litres of phensedyl in 24 cases, 4,002,524 stimulant tablets in 472 cases,

307.9322 kilos of ephedrine in four cases, 8.0669 kilos of stimulant powder in

eight cases, 26.83 litres of cough syrup in two cases, 98.8275 kilos of speciosa

in 22 cases, 0.6 kilo of caffeine in one case, 102.0001 kilos of stimulant solid

(ICE) in two cases, 402 bottles of buprinorphine (injection) in five cases, six

bottles of morphine (injection) in two cases, 12 bottles of diazepam in one

case, 248445 tablets of diazepam in nine cases, 610.61 kilos of phenyl acetic

acid and 2,562.24 litres of acetic anhydride in one case, 36,903.837 litres of

chemical liquid in 18  cases and 7,045.3216 kilos of chemical powder, 289 cases

for failure to register and 92 other cases.

Action was taken against 3,848

person – 3,117 men and 731 women – in connection with the cases in 2003.

In the same year, the Tatmadaw

and the MPF exposed seven opium refineries in Shan State (North) and seized

narcotic drugs, chemical liquid and paraphernalia.

In 2003-2004 poppy cultivation

season, up to 31 January 2004, a total of 5,573.916 acres (2255.73 hectares)

have been destroyed in Shan State (North), Shan State (South), Shan State

(East), Kachin State, Kayah State and Sagaing Division.

In comparison with the seizures

during the year 2002, 234.195 kilos more of heroin and 10,463.418 litres more of

chemical liquid were seized in 2003. Altogether 381.7775 kilos less of opium,

196.7868 kilos less of marijuana, 263.774 litres less of phensedyl, 5,397,270

less stimulant pills, 1415.6047 kilos less of ephedrine and 391.0484 litres less

of acetic-anhydrite were seized in 2003. The number of cases exposed in 2003

were 136 cases with 443 culprits less than that of in 2002.

Anti-drug

erected in Myawady District

Yangon,

17 Feb – With a view to ensuring Myawady District to become a narcotic drugs

free region, an educative billboard was put up in front of Bayintnaung Market in

Myawady, Kayin State, yesterday morning. Chairman of the Central Committee for

Drug Abuse Control Minister for Home Affairs Col Tin Hlaing delivered an address

at the ceremony and Chairman of the Central Supervisory Committee for Ensuring

Myawady District to Become Narcotic Drugs Free Region Member of the CCDAC

Minister for Labour U Tin Winn formally unveiled the billboard.

Also present on the occasion were

Minister for Religious Affairs Brig-Gen Thura Myint Maung, Chairman of Kayin

State Peace and Development Council Col Khin Kyu, senior military officers,

local authorities, officials, social organizations, teachers, students and local

people total- ling over 1,000. In his address, Minister Col Tin Hlaing said that

the purpose of the ceremony was to secure participation of the entire people in

the drugs elimination tasks for ensuring Myawady District to be a drugs free

region. It is in accordance with instructions and directives of Secretary-1 of

the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt (now Prime Minister

General Khin Nyunt) at the special meeting of the Ministry of Home Affairs on 23

July 2002 for elimination of narcotic drugs in border areas.

Under the patronage of the CCDAC

and Myanmar Anti-Narcotics Association, Myawady District Anti-Narcotics

Association was formed on 22 May 2003. It will carry out organizational tasks in

cooperation with local non-governmental organizations. So far, a total of 10

educative bill-boards have been erected in crowded sites in Myawady District. In

a bid to establish I narcotic drugs free region, priority was given to Tacfiilek,

Myawady and Kawthoung Districts. In the process, remarkable success has been

achieved in Tachilek thanks to organizational measures taken by anti-narcotics

associations at different levels and NGOs, and hearty participation of local

people. The minister called on social organizations and local people to take

part in the tasks after receiving necessary assistance of regional

administrative bodies and departments.

Myawady District is a border

region where people illegally enter the region or migrate to the neighbouring

country and narcotic drugs are smuggled. So emphasis is to be placed on

prevention and control of trafficking narcotic drugs. In conclusion, he called

for collective efforts to accomplish the project hand in hand with the Central

Supervisory Committee, local administrative bodies and NGOs as peace has now

been restored in Kayin State.

The ministers met with local

authorities, service personnel, NGOs, townselders and local people at Thaungyin

Hall in Myawady on 15 February afternoon and dealt with harmonious participation

in the State’s seven-point policy programme, and tasks for ensuring peace and

stability, regional development and elimination of drugs in the region.

Afterwards, they inspected

rehabilitation centres, the office of the head of District Myanmar Police Force,

and reception camp. The CCDAC chairman and i party attended the opening of the

office of Myawady District General Administration Department and formally opened

it. The chairman presented K 2 million to the district ANA and K 200,000

to district organization for women’s affairs.